After the Ransom
by Demonwolf
Summary: He saw the Geo-Cruiser fall in flames. He heard the villains' laughter. He thought he'd lost them.


**After the Ransom  
**

_During the episode "Deadly Ransom," Dr. Blight and Duke Nukem shoot down the Geo-Cruiser right in front of Captain Planet. How horrifying did that have to be for him to watch?_

Under a starry sky, the ocean around Hope Island was as smooth as glass. Soft tropical breezes whispered through the trees and around the Planeteers' huts. Standing a few feet away from the huts, Gaia savored the peaceful night. All was calm and the Planeteers were all sound asleep, the stress of the day having worn them out. Gaia was happy her Planeteers were able to rest easy tonight, but if the power she felt emitting from their rings was any indication, some one was suffering from insomnia.

Holding out her hand, Gaia mentally reached out and tapped into the power of her Planeteers' rings. All five powers responded at her call, streams of light joining her on the beach and then forming together at her command. One flash of light later and Captain Planet stood beside her.

He smiled at her in thanks, but Gaia could tell there were more pressing matters on the Earth Protector's mind. She trailed behind Captain Planet as he made his way to the cluster of huts.

Stepping into Kwame's hut, Captain Planet laid a light hand on Kwame's shoulder, careful not to wake him. Glancing at the boy's bedside, he noted the small pot containing a tree sapling. Waving his hand over it, Captain Planet was rewarded by the sight of the sapling growing a little taller. Kwame would be delighted to see that in the morning.

Next, the Earth Protector made his way into Wheeler's hut. Gaia heard him chuckle as he took in the messy room. Captain Planet ignored the scattered clothes and video game cases, instead picking up a discarded pillow and placing it back on the bed. Wheeler, ever the sound sleeper, barely stirred, even when the blue-skinned hero affectionately tousled the boy's red hair.

Linka's hut was far neater than Wheeler's and both Gaia and Captain Planet noted the trail of birdseed on her windowsill. An elastic hair band dangled from a lock of the girl's blond hair; Captain Planet carefully removed it and placed on her bedside table, brushing her bangs away from her eyes.

Gi, like Linka, kept her living space neat, except for the pile of books around her bed. Gi's hand was caught between the pages of a book on dolphins (a favorite, judging by the dog-eared pages). Retrieving a bookmark from the floor, Captain Planet gently removed Gi's hand from the book and inserted the bookmark. Gaia watched as he set the book by her pillow, where she would see it upon waking.

Finally, the two came to Ma-Ti's hut. The youngest boy was wrapped tightly in his blanket, as though he still felt the Arctic chill. Laying a hand on her companion's shoulder, Gaia pointed to a small cabinet at the foot of Ma-Ti's bed. With a nod of understanding, Captain Planet opened the cabinet and extracted an extra blanket. This he tucked around the young boy, not leaving the bedside until he was certain Ma-Ti was no longer cold.

"They were worried for you too." Captain Planet turned to face Gaia, following her out to the beach.

"I know. And I knew they'd do anything to help me."

"Still, something must have shaken you badly if you needed to check on them tonight." Gaia watched as Captain Planet turned back to face the cluster of huts, waiting for him to speak. His brown eyes were slightly misty and his face was solemn, a huge difference from his usual disposition. When he spoke, there wasn't a trace of humor in his voice.

"I thought I'd lost them today." Gaia laid a hand on his shoulder.

"That had to be awful to see. I know. I was watching too, but I at least had the advantage of knowing that they weren't in the Geo-Cruiser."

"I'm sure now that I was too weak to contact them, but after seeing them crash like that, I thought…" His voice trailed off.

"Tell me," Gaia insisted, clasping his hand. Still keeping his eyes on the Planeteers' huts. Captain Planet began to relate the day's events.  
************************************************** ************************************************** **

The last blast did it. The Geo-Cruiser tumbled from the sky into the snow, enveloped in flames. It crashed onto the frozen ground, the fire eliminating any hope for its passengers' survival. Captain Planet felt his legs buckle and he dropped to his knees. No, no it couldn't be true, it couldn't! His Planeteers couldn't be…

Dr. Blight and Duke Nukem burst out into laughter, confirming what he already knew to be true. Fury unlike anything he'd ever felt filled Captain Planet; they had just murdered a group of children and they were laughing! How dare they? How _dare_ they?

"You double-crossing creeps! You never had any intention of letting me go!" It was all he could think to say, ignoring any verbal jabs his enemies threw at him. Still chuckling at their own cruelty, Dr. Blight and Nukem happily left to collect their ransom, leaving Captain Planet alone.

Weak though he was, he tried to reach out to the Planeteers with his Heart power. _Please, _he pleaded silently, _please. Planeteers, please answer me!_

There was no answer.

It was true, then. His Planeteers, his children, were gone. Captain Planet slumped against the walls of his glass wall of his prison. Tears welled in closed eyes and he made no effort to stop them from falling.

_My Planteers. Kwame, Wheeler, Linka, Gi, Ma-Ti. I- I'm so sorry, kids. I should have been there for you. I should have protected you. _Their young faces flashed before his eyes.

_Kwame, you were the perfect leader and voice of reason. I could always count on you to set the good example. Wheeler, you had so much passion. You loved your new life, didn't you? I wanted you to have a happier home than the one you had. Linka, your connection to birds was as rare as you were. Your cool head was perfectly suited for Wheeler. Gi, sometimes I swore you were growing gills. You loved the water and all it had to offer. Ma-Ti, I wanted to watch you grow up and share your kindness with the world. _

"Aww, missing your little Planet Pains?" MAL had noticed his grief. "Well, don't worry. You'll be joining them soon enough, I'm sure."

"That," Captain Planet said hollowly, as Blight and Nukem returned with the containers of toxic waste "is the best news I've had all day." He ignored Nukem's gloats about his new food source and didn't bother resisting when he was dragged from his prison and restrained on a medical table.

"What have you got up your sleeve, Blight?" he asked, scowling as she trailed a finger across his chest. He didn't particularly care what the mad scientist wanted, but felt the need to ask anyway, if only to confirm what MAL had said.

"My greatest experiment yet. I'm going to unlock the secret of your power and use it to destroy the Earth."

"And how are you going to do that?"

"You'll see," Blight chuckled, trailing her finger down his arm. "I'm afraid you're going to go all to pieces."

So this was it then. Captain Planet laid back and closed his eyes. In a way, he welcomed the eventual pain, though he doubted it would match the pain in his heart.

_I'm sorry, Gaia. I was your champion, but I let both you and our Planeteers down. Please forgive me. And Planeteers, I'll be with you again soon. _Whatever afterlife was in store for him, Captain Planet was determined to spend it with his children.

_Kwame, we can plant a forest of every tree you can think of. Several forests if you want. Wheeler, I'll make sure you never have to sleep outdoors out of fear. You'll never feel unwelcome in your own home again. Linka, I'll bring you every bird there ever was. I'll find you a phoenix if I have to. Gi, we'll swim the waters of the world, you and I. And Ma-Ti, we'll walk the rainforests together and you can show me everything you know. _

He hoped they would forgive him for failing them when they'd needed him most.

"Hold it right there, Blight!" The sound of Wheeler's voice jerked the Earth Protector our of his thoughts and he jerked his head around.

"Planeteers!" he called, hardly able to believe the sight. Sure enough, all five of his beloved team were there, having hid in the lead containers. His heart leapt as they used the lead lids to repel Nukem's attacks and drive both Nukem and Blight away. Due to his weakened state, the rest of the escape was a blur. All he remembered was forcing open the doors and falling onto the snow in the sunlight. As the radiation left him, one thought circled in his head.

_They're safe! They're safe! My Planeteers are safe! Thank goodness!_

Fully recharged, Captain Planet allowed himself to linger while thanking his brave children for their help. He knew he had to stop his former captors, but needed to see all five of the Planeteers with his own eyes when not dulled by pollution. The relief on their faces at seeing him back at full power was nothing compared to Captain Planet's own joy at simply seeing all five of his children unharmed.

As it turned out, Duke Nukem had used up a lot of his power, so taking down the duo's hideout was quite simple. But the memory of seeing the Geo-Cruiser shot down was still fresh in Captain Planet's mind and he was determined not to let Blight get off scot-free.

Tearing through the collapsing hideout, Captain Planet spotted Blight running for her plane. Swooping down, he cornered her easily, forcing her to stop short and stumble. He could see her terrified expression through her helmet; good, now she knew a fraction of what he'd felt when he'd thought his Planeteers dead.

"C-C-Captain Planet, I-"

"Dr. Blight, I'm only going to say this once. I can't kill, something you should be very grateful for. I don't care what you try to do to me; I'm Earth's protector and I'm fully prepared to take any kind of abuse for the sake of the planet. But I promise you, if you even _think_ about harming my kids again, I promise I will show you exactly what kind of power I have!"

He didn't know if it was the fury in his tone or the aura of power radiating from his crystal skin, but Captain Planet saw the understanding in Blight's eyes. Sobbing for breath, she ducked around him, running as fast as she could to her plane. He let her go, flying after them as the glacier finally crumbled in on itself.  
************************************************** ************************************************** **

"She'll be back," Captain Planet finished with a sigh. "She and Nukem both."

"Not for some time, I'm sure," Gaia replied. "Sounds to me like you really scared her."

"If that what it takes to keep the Planeteers out of her line of fire for awhile. With any luck, the rest of the Eco Villains will back off for a bit as well." He paused, then asked,

"Did we do right, Gaia? I know the state the Earth is in, but our Planeteers are still so young. Are they truly ready to help us? To face situations they may not come out of?"

"They are, Captain Planet. I would not have called them otherwise. Believe me, a mother knows when her children are ready," Gaia told him. A small smile appeared on Captain Planet's face.

"A mother may know. A father may not."

"But you did know they would be Planeteers." Captain Planet nodded.

"I remember. Even deep in the Earth, I could feel them. I felt their hearts touch mine the minute they were born. I couldn't wait to meet them."

"I felt them too, my friend. That was how I knew I would soon wake. When they were ready to fight for the planet, that was when my sleep would end."

"And here they are. I just hope that this is where they'll stay for a long, long time."

"So long as you're around, they will be." Captain Planet smiled at Gaia before looking back at the huts where his children slept.

"I'll protect them with my life. No matter what the cost, I'll find a way to help them as they helped me today."

No more words were exchanged between the two that night. Both Gaia and Captain Planet remained outside, watching and protecting what made the Earth precious to them.


End file.
